Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 56, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 16, 2008Kittson County, Marshall County, Minnesota; Pembina County, Walsh County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 16, 2008, 8:39 PM CDT for Kittson County, Marshall County, Minnesota; Pembina County, Walsh County, North Dakota. It was in force for 51 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 16, 2008, 8:39 PM CDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2008, 9:30 PM CDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Kittson County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Pembina County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 16, 8:39 PM CDTTORNADO 111 Wnw Donaldson, NDTORNADO TRACKED FROM PEMBINA COUNTY AND CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 1 MILE TO 10 WNW OF DONALDSON BY 841 PM CDT. TORNADO BROKE DOWN SEVERAL LARGE TREE BRANCHES. PEAK WINDS ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH.
Jul 16, 8:49 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD5 Ese Robbin, MN
Jul 16, 8:52 PM CDTHAIL 1Donaldson, MN
Jul 16, 9:00 PM CDTTORNADO 04 Nnw Stephen, MNTORNADO TRACKED FOR NEARLY A MILE TO ABOUT 3 NNW OF STEPHEN BY 902 PM CDT. BRANCHES WERE BROKEN OFF IN SHELTER BELTS AND MINOR CROP SWIRLS WERE NOTED. PEAK WINDS ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH.
Jul 16, 9:21 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD5 Ne Argyle, MN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 256 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 49 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 125 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
49 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
795 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
219 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS53 KFGF 170139
TORFGF
MNC069-089-NDC067-099-170230-
/O.NEW.KFGF.TO.W.0056.080717T0139Z-080717T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
839 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN PEMBINA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...
  SOUTHWESTERN KITTSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
  WESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 930 PM CDT

* AT 835 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ROBBIN...OR
  18 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 32 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE ABOUT...
  6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DONALDSON AT 850 PM CDT...
  STEPHEN AT 905 PM CDT...
  ARGYLE AT 915 PM CDT...
  7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FLORIAN AT 920 PM CDT...

THIS STORM DOES HAVE A WALL CLOUD AND PERIODIC FUNNEL CLOUDS. THIS 
STORM COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. THE TORNADO MAY BE HIDDEN 
BY RAIN AND DIFFICULT TO SEE. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 
GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL. 

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT.
GET UNDER A STAIRWAY OR A PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.

LAT...LON 4829 9627 4817 9661 4817 9700 4857 9728
      4869 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 0137Z 310DEG 28KT 4858 9711

$$

PJS/TG
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KFGF 170153
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
853 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

NDC067-099-170202-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0056.000000T0000Z-080717T0230Z/
PEMBINA ND-WALSH ND-
852 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN PEMBINA AND NORTHEASTERN
WALSH COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

AT 852 PM CDT...TORNADO MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA IN SOUTHEASTERN
PEMBINA AND NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTIES. SO THE WARNING HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4829 9627 4817 9661 4817 9700 4852 9716
      4853 9715 4856 9717 4867 9706
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 317DEG 23KT 4851 9701

$$

MNC069-089-170230-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0056.000000T0000Z-080717T0230Z/
KITTSON MN-MARSHALL MN-
852 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN KITTSON AND WESTERN MARSHALL COUNTIES...

AT 849 PM CDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD. THE FUNNEL
CLOUD WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROBBIN...OR 19 MILES NORTHEAST
OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 27 MPH. THIS STORM COULD 
PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. THE TORNADO MAY BE HIDDEN BY RAIN 
AND DIFFICULT TO SEE. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZED HAIL. 

* THE FUNNEL CLOUD WILL BE NEAR...
  STEPHEN BY 910 PM CDT...
  ARGYLE BY 925 PM CDT...
  9 MILES WEST OF OLD MILL STATE PARK AND 9 MILES NORTH OF WARREN BY
  930 PM CDT...

IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE THEN SEEK SHELTER IN AN INNERMOST
ROOM...SUCH AS A CLOSET...ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS AND
PROTECT YOURSELF WITH BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS.

LAT...LON 4829 9627 4817 9661 4817 9700 4852 9716
      4853 9715 4856 9717 4867 9706
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 317DEG 23KT 4851 9701

$$

PJS/TG
000 
WWUS53 KFGF 170223
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
923 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

MNC069-170233-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0056.000000T0000Z-080717T0230Z/
KITTSON MN-
923 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN KITTSON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

AT 923 PM CDT...TORNADO MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA IN SOUTHWESTERN
KITTSON COUNTY. SO THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4850 9671 4829 9627 4818 9663 4817 9675
      4817 9700 4825 9704 4851 9707 4854 9678
TIME...MOT...LOC 0223Z 309DEG 29KT 4836 9671

$$

MNC089-170230-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0056.000000T0000Z-080717T0230Z/
MARSHALL MN-
923 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR WESTERN
MARSHALL COUNTY...

AT 921 PM CDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD. THE FUNNEL
CLOUD WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARGYLE...OR 31 MILES NORTHWEST
OF THIEF RIVER FALLS...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 33 MPH.

* THE FUNNEL CLOUD WILL BE NEAR...
  OLD MILL STATE PARK AND 7 MILES NORTH OF RADIUM BY 930 PM CDT...

IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE THEN SEEK SHELTER IN AN INNERMOST
ROOM...SUCH AS A CLOSET...ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS AND
PROTECT YOURSELF WITH BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS.

LAT...LON 4850 9671 4829 9627 4818 9663 4817 9675
      4817 9700 4825 9704 4851 9707 4854 9678
TIME...MOT...LOC 0223Z 309DEG 29KT 4836 9671

$$

PJS/TG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 7:38 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFKittson67 min
Jul 16, 9:26 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFMarshall, Pennington, Polk64 min
Jul 16, 7:07 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCavalier, Pembina38 min
Jul 16, 7:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCavalier, Towner59 min
Jul 16, 7:28 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCavalier47 min
Jul 16, 8:07 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCavalier19 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2008Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.